Convertible machine unit and method of converting same



Nov. 4, 1969 w. J. WISE 3,475,807

CONVERTIBLE MACHINE UNIT AND METHOD OF CONVERTING SAME Filed Dec. 19, 1966 INVENTOR fa/ren L/. i//ke United States Patent 3,475,807 CGNVERTIBLE MACHINE UNIT AND METHOD 0F CONVERTING SAME Warren J. Wise, Myerstown, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 602,896 Int. Cl. B23q 7/10; B23p 19/00 U.S. Cl. 29-400 6 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to punch and dye type metalworking machines, and more particularly to multistation punch and die machines having metalworking stations convertible to other operations.

Punch and die type metalworking machines of the general type shown in Patents 1,963,572 to Wilcox, or 3,122,- 831 to Bailey, are in general use. These machines comprise a series of working stations where a punch upsets Or otherwise works a metal blank in or against a die, and a knockout rod expels the worked piece from the die. A feeding station is provided from which blanks are fed to transfer fingers which carry the blanks from station to station for the various working operations. In the usual feeding station, such as is shown in the above referred to patents, a wire or rod is progressively fed through a tube by feed rolls and severed into blanks by a cut off mechanism, which blanks are then carried to the working stations by the transfer fingers. At times, however, it is desirable to provide precut blanks which can be precoated on all surfaces with lubricating coatings such as phosphate coatings. Heretofore such precut blanks have either been fed into the machine by means of separate auxiliary blank feeding mechanisms which may be purchased commercially and mounted on an existing machine, or the metalworking machine itself has been initially designed to feed precut blanks. In either case separate operating and coordinating means must be provided and adjusted to operate the precut blank feeders. Separate auxiliary feeders have left much to be desired in operating efficiency and maintenance, while built-in precut blank feeders increase the cost of the machine so greatly that they are not economically feasible unless precut blanks are to be used in the machine during a large percentage of its operating time.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an economical punch and die type metalworking machine which can Ibe quickly and conveniently converted from a conventional rod feeding operation to an efficient precut blank feeding operation, and easily reconverted, without complicated adjustments of parts or operational timing of the apparatus. It is a further object of the invention to provide a convenient method of converting a punch and die type metalworking machine from a rod feeding operation to a precut blank feeding operation.

Patented Nov. 4, 1969 ICC I have discovered that the foregoing objects can be attained by providing a precut blank magazine feeding into the side of the knockout orifice of one of the working stations of a multistation metalworking machine and substituting a short auxiliary knockout rod in the knockout orifice in place of the normal longer knockout rod.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a diagrammatic cross section of a working station of a punch and die type metalworking machine.

FIGURE 2 shows a diagrammatic cross section of the machine station shown in FIGURE 1 converted according to the present invention into a precut blank feeding station.

In FIGURE 1 a machine bed 11 has formed therein a knockout orifice 13 in which a pushrod or knockout rod 15 normally slides in forward and rear bearing rings 16 and 17, operated in the forward direction by a knockout lever 18 and rearwardly by spring 19 surrounding a cut back portion 21 of knockout rod 15 and bearing against the bottom of a spring recess 23 in a face plate 25. An adjustable stop 27 threaded in a support 28 prevents knockout rod 15 and knockout lever 18 from moving too far to the rear. Stop 27 may be locked in place by means of locknut 30. Upper and lower bolsters 29'and 31 secure a die 33 in position adjacent the end of knockout rod 15. A transfer housing 35 movably carries transfer fingers 37.

It will be readily understood that a workpiece will be carried to and inserted in die 33 by transfer fingers 37 and that a punch, not shown, will then upset the workpiece in die 33 after which knockout lever 18 forces knockout rod 15 forwardly so that cutback portion 21 of knockout rod 15 expels the workpiece from die 33 to transfer lingers 37 which carry the lworkpiece to a subsequent working station.

In FIGURE 2 the same station shown in FIGURE 1 has been converted according to the present invention into a precut blank feeding station -by a few simple changes. Knockout rod 15 has been removed by removing face plate 25, and an insert tube 41 having the same outer diameter, and designed to accommodate the particular sized precut blanks to be used, is inserted in its place in knockout orifice 13 in machine bed 11. Face plate 25 is then replaced. A vertical magazine 43 is inserted in a hole bored in machine bed 11 and insert tube 41. A short knockout rod 45 reaching from the edge of vertical magazine 43 to knockout lever 18 when lever 18 is against stop 27, is slidably mounted within tube 41 and normally biased rearwardly by spring 47 which is mounted in recess 49 in the rear of insert tube 41 and bears against head 51 of knockout rod 45. A finger mounting block 53 is mounted in bolsters 29 and 31 in place of die 33. Retarding fingers or pads 55 are mounted on baising springs 57 in recess 59 in finger mounting block 53.

During operation of the station as a precut blank feeding station, blanks 61 pass by gravity down magazine 43 and into insert tube 41 where they are pushed forwardly by the reciprocation of short knockout rod 45 induced by the movements of knockout lever 18. Each forward movement of knockout rod 45 pushes each precut blank 61 in tube 41 forward one full length so that an open space is left under magazine 43 when knockout rod `45 moves rearwardly, into which open space the lower blank in magazine 43 descends under the iniiuence of gravity or other downwardly directed force such as the force of a spring in a spring loaded magazine. As

the row or column of blanks in tube 41 moves forward, pushed by knockout rod 45, the outermost blank is pushed from between retarding fingers 55 and is grasped by transfer fingers 37 and carried to the next station where a -metalworking operation is performed upon it. Meanwhile the next succeeding blank in the row is retarded by fingers 55 so that it is not carried by momentum out of recess 59.

It will be noted that the operation of knockout level' 18 continues to be precisely the same during use of the station as a blank feeding station as during its use as a forming station since each precut blank is pushed from the retarding fingers 55 and grasped by transfer fingers 37 in exactly the same sequence and with the same timing as workpieces are pushed from die 33 by the action of knockout rod in the normal operation of the station as a metalworking station. Thus it will be recognized that conversion of the station according to the present invention requires only the substitution of a different moving part for a normal moving part-that is to say, the substitution of a shorter knockout rod-does not require any additional moving parts, and does not require any alteration in operating sequence or timing of the machine at all.

In the conversion of the working station to operation as a precut blank station face plate and 4knockout rod 15 are first removed and, if necessary, an insert tube 41 having the same outer diameter as knockout rod 15 and an internal diameter designed to accommodate the particular sized precut blanks to be used is inserted in the knockout orifice 13 in machine bed 11. As insert tube 41 is positioned in knockout orifice 13 the short knockout rod 45 is positioned with spring 47 surrounding it in recess 49 in the rear of insert tube 41. After insert tube 41 is correctly positioned face plate 25 is replaced to secure tube 41 in place. Finger mounting block 53 on which are mounted retarding fingers is next mounted in bolsters 29 and 31 in place of the removed die 33. Vertical magazine 43 is then inserted in the prebored holes in machine bed 11 and insert tube 41. If desired the vertical magazine can, of course, be placed in position prior to the positioning of the mounting block 53 and retarding fingers 55.

Reconversion to a working station requires only that magazine 43 be lifted slightly in order to free tube 41, if magazine 43 passes into tube 41, the removal of insert tube 41 together with short knockout rod 45 mounted in it by removing finger mounting block 53 and face plate 25, and the reinsertion of knockout rod 15, replacement of face plate 25, and the remounting of die 33 in bolsters 29 and 31. Vertical magazine 43 may be left in place when the station is converted from a feeding station to a working station in order to facilitate reconversion to a feeding station. To facilitate removal of insert tube 41 it may be desirable to design magazine 43 t0 merely approach the tube 41 rather than to pass as shown into the blank feeding opening.

It will be readily recognized that in spite of the fact that conversion of one work station to a feeding station leaves fewer work stations to perfor-m metalworking operations on the workpieces, the conversion according to the present invention is so simple and trouble-free that, where applicable, due to the presence of a greater number of working stations for the particular job than is strictly necessary, it is much superior to the installation of a separate feeder and much more economical where precut blanks are not regularly used than the installation of a punch and die type of machine especially designed for feeding and operating upon precut blanks.

I claim:

1. A multiple station die and punch type metal working machine having a station selectively convertible from a blank feeding station to a punch and die station and vice versa comprising:

(a) a machine bed,

(b) a die station mounted in the bed,

(c) pushrod actuating means mounted in the bed at a point remote from the die station,

(d) an opening in said bed extending from the pushrod actuating means to the die station adapted t0 slidably mount variable length pushrods,

(e) transfer fingers mounted adjacent said die station to transfer blanks to and away from said die station, and

(f) a magazine mounted on said base and communicating with said opening at a point intermediate the die station and the pushrod actuating means.

2. A metal working machine according to claim 1 additionally comprising:

(g) a metal working die mounted at the die station,

and

(h) a long rearwardly spring-biased pushrod slidably mounted in said opening to expel partially worked blanks from said die to said transfer fingers when moved forwardly by said pushrod actuating means and blocking communication between said magazine and said opening in all operative positions.

3. A metal working machine according to claim 1 additionally comprising:

(g) a short rearwardly spring-biased pushrod slidably mounted in said opening, extending to the edge of the magazine means in full rearward position, and operative when moved forward by said pushrod actuating means to move blanks forward in said opening from under said magazine toward said transfer fingers.

4. A metal working machine according to claim 3 additionally comprising:

(h) blank retarding means mounted at the die station for retarding blanks moved forward by said short pushrod so that only one blank at a time is fed to said transfer fingers.

5. A die and punch type metal working machine having a station selectively convertible from a blank feeding station to a punch and die station and back comprismg:

(a) a machine bed,

(b) a die station mounted in the bed,

(c) pushrod actuating means mounted in the bed at a point remote from the die station,

(d) an opening in said bed extending from the pushrod actuating means to the die station adapted to slidably mount variable length pushrods,

(e) transfer fingers mounted adjacent said die station to transfer blanks to and away from said die station,

(f) a magazine mounted on said base and communicating with said opening at a point intermediate the die station and the pushrod actuating means,

(g) a pushrod extending from said pushrod actuating means to said die station when said station is used as a punch and die station, and

(h) a pushrod extending from said pushrod actuating means to said magazine when said station is used as a blank feeding station.

6. A method of converting a multiple station punch and die type metal working machine having an initial station composed in whole or in part of a die, a pushrod actuating means remote from said die station, an opening extending from said pushrod actuating means to said die station, a pushrod rearwardly spring-biased in said opening, an orifice communicating with said opening at a point intermediate the die station and the pushrod actuating means, and transfer fingers operatively adjacent said die station, to a blank feeding station comprising:

(a) removing the pushrod and substituting therefor a short rearwardly spring-biased pushrod extending when positioned full rearwardly to approximately the edge of said orifice,

(b) removing said die and substituting therefor a blank retarder, and

(c) mounting a magazine upon the machine in position to feed blanks through said orifice into said 3,475,807 5 6 opening in front of said pushrod when it is biased 3,122,831 3/ 1964 Bailey et al. 72--338 full rearwardly. 3,309,765 3/ 1967 Kirsten 29--401 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS US C] XR 1,963,572 6/1934 Wilcox.

2,559,207 7/1951 Wnuk 72-270 X 29-200, 211, 401; 72-270, 338 2,662,646 12/1953 McCain 29--211 X THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner 

